Low-cost carriers lift airport growth

The little guys of the airline industry here are becoming a formidable force.
In just five years, airlines such as Tiger Airways and Jetstar Asia went from handling a mere 1.7 per cent of Changi's (in Singapore) throughput and 6 per cent of weekly flights, to carrying more than 12 per cent of the airport's total passenger traffic last year.
Today, two out of 10 flights a week are operated by low-cost carriers.
Singapore transport minister Raymond Lim made special mention of the key role that low-cost carriers have played in the airport's growth, when he spoke at an event at the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport last night, to honour Changi's best performers.
Apart from boosting traffic, the airlines have also enhanced the airport's connectivity by flying to 'unique' cities such as Bandung in Indonesia, Haikou in China and Tiruchirapalli in southern India, he said.
For their contributions, Tiger Airways and Jetstar Asia were among the 10 largest carriers by passenger numbers, honoured at the fourth Changi Airline Awards.
It was the fourth consecutive win for Tiger and the third for Jetstar.
Others on the list included Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines.
Low-cost carriers Air India Express, Cebu Pacific Air and Qantas subsidiary Jetstar Airways, operated out of Australia, were also among the top five in the second category - the highest year-on-year growth in passenger numbers.
They shared the honours with Indonesia's Lion Air and Xiamen Airlines of China.
In all, 25 airlines, including cargo carriers Federal Express and Nippon Cargo Airlines, were recognised for helping to maintain Changi's status as a leading regional aviation hub.
But even as the airport, which handled a record 37.7 million last year, and its partners can be proud of their achievements, dark clouds still hang overhead, warned Lim.
The economic downturn has buffeted the air travel industry, with Changi's total traffic falling 8.4 per cent in the first three months of the year, compared with the same period last year. Cargo volumes also slipped by 22.5 per cent.
On top of that, there is the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak, Mr Lim said, adding: 'With these two blows to the aviation industry, it is now even more crucial that the airline community and Changi Airport forge an even closer partnership so that all of us can weather this storm together.'